Nut-lock.



narran srATEs PATENT ernten.

JAMES OHARE, OF WASHINGTON, INDIANA.

NUT-LOCK.

Application led. December 16, 1912.

To all wlw/m, t may concern Be 1t known that I, JAMES OHalui, a citizenof the United States, residing at lVashington, county of Daviess, Stateof Indiana,

means for securing a sleeve on a cylindrical rod or bolt.

One of the objects of the invention is to provlde an improved device ofthis character adapted to be applied to a rod of uniform diameter at anintermediate point thereon, so as to avoid the use of screw threads. Itis frequently impracticable to employ the ordinary screw threads forsecuring a nut or collar in position on a rod because of the necessityof extending the threads to the end of the rod when the latter is ofuniform diameter throughout its length.

Another object of the invention :is to provide a device of thischaracter which is adapted to be accurately placed in position on therod, and when so placed to be secured against turning and axialmovement.

Other objects and the features of novelty will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a sleeve or nut embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3--8 of Fig. l;

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be observed that the sleeve 10 isshown in position on a rod 11. I have omitted the rod from Fig. 1 forthe purpose of more clearly illustrating the invention, and it will beobserved from this figure that the interior of the sleeve is providedwith the helical grooves 12 and 13 arranged at opposite ends thereof,the groove 12 being right-hamled and the groove 13 being left-handed.

The sleeve 10 is bored slightly larger than the diameter of the rod 11,say one thirtysecond of an inch, and an opening 111 extends from theouter surface of the sleeve to one of the grooves. The grooves arepreferably of uniform depth andin a practical embodiment of theinvention this depth may be one-eighth of an inch. Balls 15 are insertedthrough the opening 14 after the sleeve has been placed on the rod. Inse- Specifcation of Letters Patent.

Patented M ay 13,1 913.

Serial No. 737,042.

curing the sleeve in position it will ordinarily be set out a slightdistance at` one side of the final position in which it is de sired tobe secured and a hall inserted in the opening' 1l and the sleeve rotateda quarter of a revolution. A second hall is then inserted and the sleeverotated another quarter of a revolution, this operation being repeateduntil the desired `number of balls have been `inserted. The balls arcpreferably slightly larger in diameter than the depth of the grooves andin the construction illustrated lnay bc tive thirt \'-seconds of an inchin diameter so that as the sleeve is rotated on the rod the balls willindent a groove in thc rod which will prevent the sleeve from nuivingaxially. The helical arrangement of the grooves will I,anse the sleeveto advance axially as it is rotated, thus permitting the sleeve to beaccurately placed.

Then the sleeve has been arranged in the desired position balls 16 arcinserted in the opening 17 which extend from the exterior of the sleeveto the groove 13. The openings 17 are preferably arranged at variouspoints on the circum'tercmfe of the sleeve to provide a uniforlndistribution of the balls. After the balls 1G have been placed inposision suitable plugs 1S are screwed or driven into the openings 17for the purpose of retaining the balls. As in the case ot' the balls 15,the balls 1G are slightly larger in diameter than the depth of thegroove 13 so that in the event of the sleeve 10 being turned on the rod11 the balls would he caused to indent the rod and since the groove 13is pitched in the opposite direction to the groove 12 one set of ballswould tend to move the sleeve in one direction, axially, and the otherset would tend to move the sleeve in opposition to the first set, andthereby securely lock the sleeve against rotation. It will be obviousthat the sleeve 10 may be used as a nut or a thrust collar on a shaftand that in either case the sleeve will be securely locked againsteither turning or axial movement.

VhiIe I have illustrated and described the groove 13 as being pitched inthe opposite direction from the groove 12 it will be readily understoodthat thc device will also he effective with the groove 13 pitched atother angles, the essential feature being to have the pitch of thegroove 13 different from the pitch of the groove 12.

It will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that other changes may bemade in the minor details of the invention, within the scope of theappended claims, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the exactdetails shown and described.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

l. A new article of manufactureronsisting of a sleeve having internalgrooves pitched at different angles to the axis of the sleeve, andopenings extending from the outer surface of the sleeve to said grooves,for .the purpose described.

2. A new article of manufacture consisting of a sleeve having internalhelical grooves olppositely pitched, and openings extending from theouter surface of the sleeve to said grooves, for the purpose described.

3. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, acylindrical rod, a sleeve arranged on said rod, said sleeve beingprovided with internal grooves of substantially uniform depth, pitchedat different angles to the axis of the sleeve, and openings extendingfrom the outer surface of the sleeve to said grooves, and balls arranged in said grooves and engaging said rod at different points aroundthe circumference thereof.

4. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, acylindrical rod,

the sleeve 'toA lsaid grooves, and balls arranged in said grooves andengaging said rod at different points around the circum-` ferencethereof, said balls being slightly larger in diameter than the averagedistance between the surface of the rod and the bottom of the grooves. f

5. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, acylindrical rod, a sleeve arranged on said rod, said sleeve beingprovided with internal helical grooves, pitched in opposite directions,and an opening extending from the outer surface of the sleeve to one ofsaid grooves, and a plurality of such openings extending to the other ofsaid grooves, balls arranged in the former of said grooves at varyingdistances from the opening thereto, and balls arranged in the latter ofsaid grooves adjacent the openings thereto, and closures in the latteropenings adapted to prevent the escape of the balls.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES OHARE.

Witnesses F. A. SEAL, E. I-I. HOFFMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

